In the First Person

In the First Person is a landmark index to English-language personal narratives, including letters, diaries, memoirs, autobiographies, and oral histories, dating mostly from the 20th century. These primary sources are gathered from hundreds of published volumes publicly available on the Web and held by repositories and archives around the world. The stories of diverse groups and ordinary people from all walks of life can at last be heard alongside those of the well-published and famous. Users can search all personal narratives by keyword. Use of the index is free, but access to some full-text content is limited to fee-paying subscribers.